Video: Racist Ranters And Knives Don't Faze SI Bus Riders

If there is one thing most New Yorkers are quite good at it is ignoring the crazies on the MTA. But not everyone is willing to just ignore a ranter! Some people carry knives. Like the fed up man in this video, shot mid-argument on the S46, who went and pulled out his knife:

Unfortunately the video starts well into the fight and ends before anything really crazy happens (besides, y'know, a knife being pulled), but here's how the videographer, Stefhen Bryan, described the scene to us:

The incident began when the black guy started going on about his hate for light skinned black people, latinos and "crackers." He then turned his aggressions directly to the white guy. It was amazing that nobody reacted when he pulled the knife. It was as though it was a normal occurrence, one observed everynight coming home from work. The driver did not see the knife. Soon there after, the white guy was preparing to disembark and by then, my memory card had run out. I spoke to him and told him to ignore the black guy, as he may have been drunk, high, or just plain mentally ill. We (the white guy, me and my wife—the asian woman in the video) all got off at the same stop. He appeared to be a very nice human being, who was riled by an irrational, or unstable individual. The black guy was still talking shit even after the white guy got off the bus. But I managed to calm the white guy down and made him realize it was better to ignore the black guy.

And it is probably a good thing he talked the white guy down, since otherwise this post could have been much more grim (and given Nike another reason to ignore Staten Island).

Meanwhile, in case you were curious, Bryan was in town to promote his new book Black Passenger Yellow Cabs: Of Exile And Excess In Japan, the interesting sounding story of his "incredible journey from a childhood of third-world poverty to an adulthood of sexual addiction in the Land of the Rising Sun."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Garth Johnston in News on August 11, 2011 6:46 PM

Comments [rss]

McAlpine

ignore the black guy blackpassenger.

Joey Boots

From looking at the picture above, it appears the black woman in the photo with the red hair is also shooting video so maybe there is another video flouting around on youtube of this incident.

Joey Boots

Let this be a reminder to people who ride the MTA daily: at the end of each day empty your memory cards in to your computer and charge your batteries so you can capture moments like this in full.

Thank you. This has been a public service announcement from a guy who loves to shoot video of that which is unique, interesting and crazy about NYC. :>)

blackpassenger

you are very right indeed. As I was visiting new york, I had taken a bunch of pix that day and the incident ocurred on the bus at night when i was returning to my relatives' home where I was staying. I will most def invest the 200 bucks for a larger memory card. for the record, i was very hesitant to post this vid, didnt want the white dude to get into any trouble, considering it was the black dude who was the instigator. but my friends convinced me to post it.

gaelic47

That's either a gravity knife or an assisted open knife (kind of like a switchblade). Those are illegal in New York, but a bunch of guys I work with have them anyway. Also, and this makes no sense, you can't keep a knife in your pocket with the belt clip of the knife showing, but you can keep it in your pocket, in a case on your belt, or in your bag. To review, not concealed - Illegal. Completely concealed - totally legit. Huh?

ih8bloomturd

White guy making racist comments gets arrested makes national news cast everywhere and gets charged with a hate crime felony lookin at 20 yrs in year . Whenits a black its a joke eveyone laugjs hardy har har har

GrahamCracked

In black culture racism is encouraged, kinda like it was in white culture up until 50 or 60 years ago.

OrchidBlack

Clearly you do not know anything about black culture. Your most intimate contact with black people is probably passing them by in the street or grocery store.

GrahamCracked

I am mixed race, I am speaking from personal experience. Clearly you don't know anything... period.

OrchidBlack

Just because you are of mixed race doesn’t make your comment any less ignorant and racist; you making that comment seems even more ridiculous now.

LICnative

Let's go to the scorecards. Crazy whiteboy with knife 10, loud mouthed brother 9.

Kirk Faulkner

How is everyone ignoring how awesome the hair is on that chick in the background?

OrchidBlack

If you mean the black woman with the blond hair. Yes... her hair is awesome!

sharpshoota

Honestly, the white dude would have killed the black. White dude knew just as I did quickly that the black guy was all mouth. Must have smelled like pussy all over that bus.
All the real tough guys don't keep talking like that...they just come up and beat your ass.

Guest

AS AN ANONYMOUS INTERNET TOUGH GUY, I'D LIKE TO STATE THAT I WOULD HAVE THROWN THE FUCKER'S ASS OUT OF THE BUS -- RAWR!!!

oh, is that a kitten? how cute! awww...

robingee

"A very nice human being" WHO PULLED A KNIFE ON A BUS FULL OF PEOPLE.

J

Thank you Gothamist!

Garth Johnston

No, thank you!

Guest

whatever happened to the good ol' "you flash a knife, i'll flash a gun, you flash a machine gun, and i flash a bazooka... holy shit an atom bomb you win" games?